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Encino Drive $557,289 contract up for commission consideration

City Commissioners will be asked during Tuesday’s meeting to approve a $557,289 contract to United Materials of Great Falls for an Encino Drive reconstruction project.

The project extends from a point about 150-feet south of the intersection of Madera Drive and Encino Drive south to the end of the cul-de-sac. The project consists of reconstructing approximately 600 feet of road way, installing curb and gutter, sidewalk, storm drain, strip drains, and ADA compliant curb ramps, according to Public Works.

The road was constructed in 1996 and since then, the paved surface along Encino Dive has required extensive maintenance and pavement patching to maintain drainage and an adequate driving surface, according to the city staff report.

An initial investigation indicated that “poor quality of the original construction is the primary cause for the continual need for repairs,” according to the staff report. “This suspicion was confirmed by the subsequent geotechnical investigation.”

The geotechnical investigation indicated that neither the subgrade nor the gravel base course materials were properly compacted in accordance to the existing standards for road construction, according to the staff report.

“The investigation also indicated that the subgrade along Encino Drive is possibly inundated, on a seasonal basis, from one or more uphill drainages west of Flood Road, to the west of Encino Drive,” according to public works.

Numerous resident complaints and maintenance issues prompted the city to start this project, which includes the removal of the existing pavement and base course, proper compaction of the clay subgrade soils, installation of drainage elements, installation of a separation and subgrade support fabric, and installation and compaction of new base course and asphaltic concrete pavement.

The preliminary schedule for this project is summer 2021.

The project has been split into phases due to the length and extensive nature of the work.

Phase one will start about 150-feet south of the intersection of Madera Drive and Encino Drive, south to the cul-de-sac. The project consists of reconstructing approximately 600 feet of road way; installing curb and gutter, sidewalk, storm drain, strip drains and ADA curb ramps.

Phase 2 and three will start at the intersection of Park Garden Road and Encino Drive.

Neighborhood residents have expressed concern over the poor condition of Encino Drive since at least spring of 2017. As a result, public works staff attended neighborhood council meetings in April and May of 2017 and April 2018, and the department held a community informational meeting in May 2018 to discuss the proposed reconstruction project.

City staff will hold another community meeting with United Materials prior to construction to address the project and answer resident questions.

Project specification were advertised but no bids were received by the June 2018 deadline. At the time, the recommendation was to readvertise the project this winter.

The specifications were readvertised and two bids were received in January ranging from $557,289.00 from United Materials to $672,580.00 from MRTE Inc.